A Review of the Best Cheap iPod In-Ear Headphones

The ear buds that come with your iPod are okay ... but just okay. Apple iPod ear buds are better than most, if not all, of the stock ear buds that come with portable players and the like, but that's not really saying much. In this article I'll review seven in-ear headphones under $50 that make great replacements for stock ear buds. We found that all the cans under $40 were somewhat more flawed than those between $40 and $50, so if you can stretch the budget to $50 it will be well worth your while. In the under $40 category we'll talk about the Sony MDR-EX56LP, the iHarmonix iHX Pro ev, and the Skullcandy Smokin' Buds and Titans. Between $40 and $50 well discuss the Sennheiser CX 300-II, Klipsch Image S2, and Denon AH-C360 and AH-C452K. All these headphones are of the in-ear type that seal with a small rubber tip in your ear canal. This type of headphone provides the best isolation of any headphone type and really lets you listen in a world of your own. The downside is that you can become completely unaware of your surroundings with little or no ability to hear what's going on around you.  I mention this because if you are going to give these headphones to a child who will be riding their bike or skateboarding around town you may want to look at other types of headphones that allow you to hear more of what's going on around you and maintain better situational awareness. I'd suggest looking at the Koss KSC75 clip-on or Koss Porta-Pro headphone. Ready? Let's start from the least expensive and work our way up. On to the Skullcandy Smokin' Buds ---->